446: Doesn't matter

Doesn't matter

"I want my son back before the day ends… where is that person right now?"2

The chief of police's breath hitched the moment Dominic's glinting eyes held his gaze. The latter's eyes almost looked red, as if he was about to turn berserk. 

"Sir!" Suddenly, the brief yet stifling silence between them broke upon Dane Zhang's call. 

Dane panted for air, hands on his legs. "Bad news!"

The second Dominic heard that, he turned his head to look at his assistant. 

"The young madam…" Dane caught his breath, swallowing a mouthful of air as he straightened his back. "The young madam is on her way here! But, according to the second young master, the young madam fainted and had a bleeding!"

"Heaven."

In a snap of a finger, Dominic's heart seemed to have stopped beating altogether. 

*

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*

DUT… DUT… DUT…

Dominic sat on the chair with his hands linked together, his head hanging low. Not only did someone kidnap his son, but his parents were still in critical condition. And now, his wife was lying on the hospital bed after fainting and bleeding. 

'It's my fault…' he lamented inwardly, closing his eyes as he drew his breath. 

Everything happened so fast that he could barely catch up. His head throbbed in distress, worrying about his family and praying for their safety. 

"Keep your heart still, Dominic." Suddenly, Grandma Zhu, who was with him in the same private ward where Heaven was, spoke. Grandma Zhu was sitting in the corner, eyes on Dominic, who was sitting on the chair beside the bed. 

"Blaming yourself won't help. If you want to blame anyone, that'll be me," she remarked. "Clear your mind before you make any movements."

Grandma Zhu slowly shifted her eyes to Heaven. "Fortunately, the baby is safe. That is one less of our worry."

Bitterness dominated Dominic's face before he lifted his head, turning it in his grandmother's direction. The latter was already wearing black, keeping a calm front even though her son and daughter-in-law were in the intensive care unit while his great-grandson was abducted. 

"I always tell myself when bad times come… it'll just be a memory I will recall after several months," Grandma Zhu shared, eyes still on Heaven's unconscious figure. "This situation… is like a stab in my heart a hundred times. However, panicking and making rash decisions will not fix it."

Grandma Zhu blinked ever so slowly, shifting her attention to Dominic. "Be strong, child."

Dominic's lips were kept in a tight slash, staring at his grandmother bitterly. He secretly ground his teeth as he peeled his gaze from her, setting them on his wife.

"Grandma…" he called under his breath after a minute of nothing but silence. "... where's Silas?"

*

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*

"Mom, Dad…" Axel stood in front of the entrance of the intensive care unit, holding his hands into tight fists. His eyes felt hot as tears coated them. 

He already heard from Dane Zhang about their condition. Right now, Axel couldn't talk to Dominic properly as he tended to his wife on top of cooperating with the authorities. Grandma Zhu was already looking after Heaven, so Axel wanted to check on his parents.

However, he wasn't allowed inside. 

He could only stand here, praying for his parents' recovery. Even though the doctors said his parent's surgery was successful, they were still under strict monitoring. They weren't completely safe, as complications could happen at any second. 

"What a tragic day…" Axel froze when he heard Silas's voice from behind him. "I rushed here as soon as I heard the news. Goodness. How could all this happen in a single day? Someone abducted my little nephew, Uncle and Aunt were now in the intensive care unit fighting for their life, and my cousin-in-law fainted and bled."

Silas let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "Just what is happening to this family?"

"You…" Axel ground his teeth as he looked back, only to see Silas carry a half-hearted frown. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"Silas Zhu!" Axel stormed toward Silas, grabbing the man's collar. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

"Axel Zhu, what are you saying now?" Silas arched a brow and cocked his head to the side. "I know you're childish and I've long conceded to extend my patience. However, this is pure slander."

Axel's grip on his collar tightened. "Stop with your bullshit!" He let out a ridiculing laugh, believing Silas had something to do with this. 

"Ever since you came back, bad things kept happening to me and to my brother," he continued through his gritted teeth. "My mom and dad were nothing but kind to you. They were even more considerate towards you just so you won't feel lonely. But… you're an ungrateful bastard."

Silas frowned, holding his hands on either side of him as a sign of surrender. "Axel, you're going too far. I might be like this, but I will never hurt them."

"Hah!" 

"Let me go, Axel. I will pretend I didn't hear all these ridiculous accusations… like always."

"You…" Axel ground his teeth, even more provoked by Silas's denial. From the bottom of his heart, he already blamed Silas for this. Silas was already the culprit to him, even though the investigations hadn't given them proper results. 

"You will never hurt them?" Axel mocked. "Silas, that's also what your father used to say to my brother. But in the end, he's the one who left the biggest scar in my brother's heart. I don't believe you aren't behind this or aren't involved in it."

"Your father had done it, and I will not be surprised if the seed took after the tree," he added under his breath. 

The frown on Silas's face faded until his expression was blank. He stared at the enraged Axel, moving his hands to Axel's wrist as the latter was still holding him by the collar. 

"Axel Zhu." His voice was cold and deep. "Keep running your tongue and you'll find yourself beside your parents…"

Silas's grip on Axel's wrist tightened, but then he stopped as a hand landed on his shoulder. 

"Hey, man." Silas glanced over his shoulder, only to see one of Dominic's bodyguards, Tiger. "This family already has a lot on their plate. Let him go."

Silas smirked, setting his eyes back to Axel. "Don't tell that to me, but to him. After all, he was the first to attack."

"Doesn't matter." Tiger squeezed Silas's shoulder. "What matters is that you're not the one paying me."

Tiger kept his sharp gaze with a sly smirk on Silas's back. "Second young master, please let your cousin go. Settle this matter once things are over. Don't give your brother more things to think about."

"Tch." Axel clicked his tongue irritably before he reluctantly released Silas. The latter tugged the hem of his suit, letting out a dry laugh as he turned on his heel. 

Just as Silas did, he came face to face with Tiger. Tiger tipped his head, taking a step to the side to give way to him. Without a word, Silas walked away after casting Tiger a side-eye. 

'Hah…'Tiger blinked, shifting his attention to Axel. 

"I'll teach him a lesson one of these days!" Axel harrumphed, turning his back to face the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, Tiger kept his eyes on the second young master.

'What a reckless second young master,'thought Tiger, turning his head to Silas's retreating back again. 'That copycat would've broken his hands if I didn't step in.'

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